The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has banned the operations of commercial motorcycles popularly called Okada, in six Local Governments.
The governor announced that the ban is “indefinite and total”.
The six local governments listed by the governor are Ikeja, Surulere, Eti-Osa, Lagos Mainland, Lagos Island, and Apapa.
The Governor gave out the directive at a meeting with the Commissioner of Police, Area Commanders and Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) at the State House in Alausa.
The fresh Okada ban followed the February 2020 restriction placed on the activities of commercial motorcycles.
Sanwo-Olu said the Government took the decision in line with the State’s Transport Sector Reform Law of 2018 to immediately address the chaos and menace created by the operations of Okada in the listed areas.
He told the police to enforce the order without compromise.
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He said, “After a critical review of our restriction on Okada activities in the first six Local Government Areas where we restricted them on February 1, 2020, we have seen that the menace has not abated. We are now directing a total ban on Okada activities across the highways and bridges within these six Local Government and their Local Council Development Areas, effective from June 1, 2022.
“This is a phased ban we are embarking on this period, and we expect that within the short while when this ban will be enforced, Okada riders in other places where their activities are yet to be banned can find something else to do. We have given the notice now and we expect all commercial motorcycles plying the routes in the listed councils and areas to vacate the highways before enforcement begins. The enforcement will be total.”
The ban is coming days after Okada riders killed a young man in the Lekki area of Lagos State over N100 balance.
It was learnt that the victim, who was a sound engineer, was lynched and burnt to death after a misunderstanding ensued over the N100 balance with one of the commercial motorcyclists.
Grace, widow of the 37-year-old sound engineer who was killed by motorcyclists in Lagos State, David Imoh, has narrated how her husband was killed while trying to settle a fight between two friends and his killers.
Grace said her husband was wrongly labelled as a ritualist and Yahoo Boy before being lynched to death.
“They didn’t just beat him, they stabbed and burnt him to death,” the mother of two broke down in tears.
“He was burnt as if he is a robber. They have taken my world away from me because of N100. This is not good,” she added.
